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303 Café - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
303 Sumner St(between Orleans St & Wilbur Ct)
Boston, MA 02128
Neighborhood: East Boston
(617) 569-3001
- Nearest Transit:
-
Sumner St @ Cottage St (120)
Sumner St @ Orleans St (120)
Maverick St @ Frankfort St (120)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Schlosky D. said: "Definitely the local breakfast joint in Medford, there is always a line on the weekends. The food is worth the visit, a bunch of old guys man the grill. It's a bit small, but not a deterrent." read more »
115 reviews for 303 Café
Review Highlights
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"Try the French toast - you will not be disappointed." In 17 reviews -
"...step in the right direction for all of us Eastie lovers." In 17 reviews -
"and my mister had the sweet potato hash." In 5 reviews
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115 reviews in English
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Review from leslie b.
New York, NY
12/4/2011
Found 303 Cafe in East Boston on the way to Logan Airport and LOVED it! It was quaint, had a great neighborhood feel and great service. The breakfast was excellent! Loved the French toast with fresh whipped cream, Nutella and raspberry. Excellent flavor combination that I was skeptical about initially. The potatoes were awesome & the coffee too. I would definitely come back to 303 Cafe in a heartbeat.
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Review from Mike W.
Somerville, MA
12/28/2011
Stopped by the 303 Cafe as we had a Groupon to use up and were leaving Logan. Was there around 11:30 on a Tuesday. There were only a couple tables occupied.
I ordered The Morning After. 3 scrambled eggs, scrambled veggies (yum!), potatoes, bacon, sausage, and homemade wheat toast. A ton of food and only $9! It was delicious and all coked just right. She had a burger with sweet potato fries. Burger looked fresh, but was a tad undercooked. Sweet potato fries were yummy.
Only downsides were the service was a tad slow. We weren't in a rush but it took 10+ minutes to get our bill after we were done. The room also was filled with a bit of smoke from the kitchen. Not a lot, but certainly enough to notice. If you're in the area and looking for a filling breakfast, definitely swing by the 303. -
Review from Lisa S.
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
On my trip to Boston a week and a half ago, we ventured over to East Boston on a Sunday to give 303 Cafe a try. We had a reservation at 12:15 for 6 people (they only take reservations for 6+ people). Last minute, one of our friends canceled, so we only had 5 when we showed up, which they were really nice about.
The place was busy, and there was a crowd of about 10 people standing in the doorway waiting to be seated. We didn't get seated until around 12:30, even with our reservation. Normally I wouldn't have minded, but a few tables had cleared out around 12:15 and they just hadn't gotten around to cleaning them/turning them over for another 15 minutes. Which was frustrating given the fact that we were all staring at the empty tables, waiting to be seated.
Eventually we got seated at a table in the corner. It was next to the front door and windows, but had a small dividing wall between the table and the door. It was absolutely freezing. We all ate our entire brunch in jackets, scarves and the like. I'm usually on the warm side, and even I kept my jacket on and my hands in my pocket. The waitress never asked us if the temperature was okay, despite our interesting attire.
Temperature of the restaurant aside, the food was really tasty. I ordered 3 eggs over easy ($8.50), and it was done perfectly. People at the table ordered a breakfast sandwich, a breakfast burrito, an omelet, blueberry pancakes, eggs, coffee, lattes- the whole spectrum. The menu was huge and I didn't hear any major complaints about anything people ordered. The home fries had some sort of spice on it- I think curry- and I loved it. The iced tea arrived a weird reddish color, but was really tasty- I don't normally like flavored iced tea, but it was apparently half regular tea, half flavored tea. Two thumbs up.
The two things that bothered us a bit was that the service was a bit slow/inconsistent. They forgot to give us silverware or napkins until they brought our food and noticed we didn't have any. Refills on iced tea took a long time and I had to be aggressive to get any. The second thing was some inconsistencies in the food. For example, two of my friends ordered a side of 1 blueberry pancake. One came HUGE, with tons of blueberries. The other one was about half its size, with much less blueberries. Some of the home fries were burnt (I actually liked it that way), and some were done perfectly. It wasn't a huge deal, but it is something you notice and wonder about in a big group of people ordering the same things.
Overall, I'd come back to breakfast here. It was cute and the food was cheap, big and tasty. If they worked on improving their service and the consistency of their food (and their temperature regulation in winter!), this could easily be a 5-star place. -
Review from Karen G.
Allston-Brighton, MA
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just stopped in for coffee on a brisk fall morning and ordered a small disel dark coffee with a shot of toasted almond mocha flavoring. The coffee itself was very good and the barista was friendly, but my friend and I had major problems with the coffee cups.
Yes. Coffee cups.
One great thing about the coffee cups was that it was eco-friendly (huge props in my book), but the lids just didn't fit correctly on it no matter how we angled it, rotated it, pushed it, held it. It kept leaking every time we took a sip of our coffee. Such a pain. And! The coffee started seeping through the bottom of the coffee cup after 20 minutes (she drinks coffee really slowly)!
Yeah, they need better coffee cups. They had this sign on their chalkboard that said something about a cup fundraiser or something or other. Maybe that will go to new and better coffee cups? -
Review from M A.
Boston, MA
1/19/2012
303 is Out of Business.
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Review from tc m.
Boston, MA
4/27/2011
The food is great. I don't think I've ever had something I didn't like and there are some great vegetarian options. I love the idea of having a local cafe in East Boston. The service, however, leaves something to be desired. To clarify, no one is mean or rude, they just don't pay attention to you - you could be sitting there for 20 minutes (and not crowded), yet no one will come over to greet you or give you a menu. As for the beer list... not on the wall or in the menu, but bottles on the counter that the server expects you to be able to see from your table. I've been here 4 or 5 times, and every single time, our table has never had a full set of silverware.
I will definitely go back for the food, but you just have to know you won't have the best service. -
Review from Christina Z.
Winthrop, MA
6/14/2011
Fun little joint. Been here a couple times. The service is decent, nothing special. My $4.50 chocolate milkshake tasted like a chocolate milk, but I am not the complaining type, so I drank it. The waitress took a little bit too long with the drinks and with the food considering we were the only two people there. My companion ordered the croissant egg sandwich which she devoured, and I got the breakfast burrito, with egg, black beans, chorizo, jack, and grilled tomato. The black beans kept falling out (onto my lap), so I'd recommend a black bean mash instead of beans, but it was so scrumptious, I dealt with it. Spicy, and miraculously NOT oily, this thing was huge and just 8 bucks. The standout by far was the deliciously spicy home fries. I ate half and have plenty for later.
I've also had the sweet potato mash, which I cannot find anymore, or maybe it was only weekend brunch? Menu overhaul. Don't go by the online menu; they've done some revamping. -
Review from Jonique S.
Boston, MA
8/9/2011
The staff and service were amazing.
The food was barely edible. My friend and I came here because Phantom Gourmet gave this place good reviews (may have been specific to breakfast).
The hummus was bland and the texture was unrecognizable. The accompanying chips were great (sans hummus)
The macaroni and cheese w/ fish was edible but not spectacular.
The mash potato and meatloaf dish was dry, flaky, and a total fail.
I would like to give this place another try during breakfast. -
Review from Theresa P.
Goleta, CA
4/10/2011
I've passed this cafe many a time on my way to Piers Park Sailing and tried it out for the first time today. We had a fairly large group of 7 during 11AM for brunch and so a wait of about 5-10 minutes was quicker than I expected.
Their menu had a good selection of classic brunch options as well as a bit of flair for those more adventurous. I had their french toastwich, which is pretty much a breakfast sandwich made with two giant slices of brioche french toast. The sandwich was average - nothing extraordinary - I actually added ketchup to mine to give it more flavor. The potatoe wedges that came with the sandwich were seasoned better, perhaps over-seasoned with some chilli spice, but I thought it gave some flavor to an overall bland dish.
Before I ordered an orange juice I asked to see if it was freshly squeezed. After finding out that it is, I ordered a large. Not sure if our definition of freshly squeezed is different and by freshly squeezed she thought I meant from a carton, but it was made from concentrate. I mean, I drank it - I'm not someone who only can drink fresh squeezed OJ, but either lying to your customers or not really knowing what you offer probably isn't the best start to the meal.
Of all the items our group got, the two that stuck out the most was the breakfast risotto and the steak and eggs. Although I had only a few bites of each, they were seasoned well and tasted delicious.
Our biggest issue was that they messed up our bill. Yes, with large parties it may be a hassle and tricky with the bill situation. We had 3 credit cards and the rest cash. We wrote on the back of the bill how much on each card with the last 4 digits of the card. Not only did she bring back the receipts with charging only 2 cards, but she charged them the wrong amounts than what we wrote on the bill! Things were cleared out slowly... the owner did come out and try to resolve things, but the manner in which it was handled I thought was sub-par. They didn't even give us void slips for the first charge so that we could have a reference just in case.
Overall, this place isn't bad food, but there are other better brunch places who don't have staff that can't read amounts to charge their cards and who don't have time to explain the situation to the customers. -
Review from D. D. Y.
Boston, MA
7/16/2011
This place is very cute and has excellent food. It's all brick with extremely high ceilings and an open front that allows for a nice breeze. Very attractive setting. We bought a groupon and ended up here on Father's Day, even though we came without our dads.
We used their brunch menu, and had an excellent meal. I got the frittata with spinach and hollandaise sauce. It was incredibly tasty - and different, not something you can find everywhere! It was very heavy though, could have split it between two people. My boyfriend got the sweet potato hash, which wasn't as good - it wasn't really hash, more like a stirfry of the sweet potatoes, ham, etc. He ended up eating a good portion of mine. Very good coffee. We'll definitely come again: Groupon at its best - we found a new great place to eat! -
Review from Tiff D.
2/9/2011
Chicken pesto sandwich, meatloaf, and risotto.
The place is small and was empty on a Saturday night. A place like this with a bar would do well. Too bad they only serve beer and wine...
The meatloaf was 4" tall topped with a scoop of mashed potatoes and drizzled with spicy BBQ sauce. The sauce was what made the dish. Without it the meatloaf was well, just meatloaf. Once we dug into the center of the meatloaf, it was raw, and I don't mean rare burger raw. I mean, that's so raw I could get mad cow, or salmonella... we picked around it - half of the meatloaf was inedible.
The sandwich was served with a side of your choice of fries. Curly, sweet potato, or regular. We opted for the sweet potato and devoured every last one.
The risotto was loaded with cheese, too much cheese...making it a thick gooey mess. After a few bites we were done with it.
Reading reviews I'm guessing this place thrives on its brunch. So come for that, or a simple sandwich, anything else and you will leave disappointed. -
Review from Nathan O.
Boston, MA
4/20/2011
Good food! Get the chicka chicka boom boom for an appetizer. So yummy. The beer selection is decent and all the art work on the walls are for sale.
The choice of drinks changes so don't expect your favorite beer from last week to still be on tap or in the bottle. The same goes for the art on the wall, it changes every so often.
Sunday nights are the best, with a local band that always brings a crowd -
Review from Donnie G.
Boston, MA
11/19/2010
Try the Seafood Linguine with the Vanilla Lobster Sauce. I've never seen such a unusual dish that really hits all the high notes. The beer selection is cool - really quirky and local. The local art on display also adds to the cool vibe of the place.
We've eaten here with our boys many times - there's something for everyone on the menu - including kids. I've never received bad service either, but some of the tables are a bit wobbly. 303 is an Eastie treasure. -
Review from Tim N.
12/25/2010
Quaint, cozy, and absolutely delicious. I've been here on two separate occasions during visits to Boston, and I've been completely impressed both times.
The first time, I was floored by their sweet potato hash. I was totally intrigued by this menu item - it makes perfect sense, but I had never actually seen someone take a traditional hash dish and use sweet potatoes instead. Brilliant! Needless to say, the dish was delicious. A very generous amount of sweet potatoes, nicely combined with ham, onions, mushrooms, celery, and eggs of course.
More recently, I enjoyed a breakfast burrito with tasty chorizo and was equally satisfied.
They've got friendly, prompt staff, a great restaurant space, and equally great prices. I hope to come back here again. -
Review from Carrie M.
Arlington, MA
11/5/2007 ROTD 11/9/2008
Thank you Yelp, without you I never would have known about this place. Only three miles from my house, yet in an area that was completely foreign to me.
My boyfriend and I headed here yesterday morning, it was a breakfast treat to ourselves before we starting painting our place. I am not a huge fan of breakfast places, as I don't like eggs and I feel like french toast, pancakes, etc are just fillers with no nutritional goodness (that said, I do still like them!).
303 Cafe has solved my breakfast issues, as on their menu is a curry tofu scramble that comes with toast and home fries. It was so delicious I literally ate every last bite off my plate. My boyfriend got the french toast, which was amazing. Three large slices with nutella on each and raspberry swirls of goodness on the plate.
The service was good, even though the food was a bit slow, she informed us that it would be there soon. The prices I found to be fantastic. My huge plate of food was $6. Amazing! The interior is great too, high ceilings, exposed brick, artwork on the walls, and the perfect music playing in the background.
I can't wait to go back to this place again for breakfast, or to try what looked like an amazing dinner menu. They are also working right now on a liquor license, so who knows, they may have that to offer in the future too.
My one warning is that I ordered the vegan bacon off the menu. What I got looked suspiciously like the morning star farms veggie bacon, which I love, but is definitely not vegan. If you're vegan (or have egg allergies) I would ask about this prior to ordering. -
Review from Darlene A.
Long Beach, CA
2/7/2012
We were here on New Years Day, so they get an extra star just for being open. We found this neighborhood cafe to be quaint and inviting. The food was good and the staff very nice. Wish we had a few more days to try other items on the menu. We had egg, potatoes, and toast. The wheat toast was great, I know who talks about the toast? It was really good, as were the potatoes. Yummy!
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Review from Leighann F.
Astoria, Queens, NY
1/7/2009
Amidst the dense Eastie jungle of pizza places and Mexican joints, 303 Cafe is a refreshing respite from typical Eastie fare. Don't get me wrong, I love a good burrito and the pizza options 'round these parts are better than most. But sometimes you want a little more out of your lunch life.
With 303, I can get that without having to get dressed and dine in at their restaurant. Call ahead for take out and bring their well-constructed, brightly flavored food right to your own home and BAM. Boring lunch be gone!
Be ready to plunk down a few extra duckets to dine on these dishes, when compared with pizza or paella, but it's worth it not to have to scarf down the usual. -
Review from John W.
Los Angeles, CA
4/2/2008
A chic neighborhood joint serving up gourmet food in a laid-back atmosphere. The pressed-tin ceiling, hardwood floor, and exposed brick walls create a relaxed environment in which to chill out with friends. We started with drinks from the small, but well curated beer and wine list posted on a chalkboard behind the counter.
They change their menu from time to time, so the Tofu Saag i was excited to try was no longer available. My two friends got fish dishes that they both enjoyed. Some say the portions are small, but i think they are just right - i never like feeling stuffed after a meal.
I cant wait to return and experience their brunch. And kudos to 303 Cafe for displaying work from local Eastie artists. -
Review from cherie c.
7/28/2008
Came here for breakfast based on Yelp reviews and it was a pleasant surprise.
Service was delightful. Such an odd word to use, but it seems to fit. Great atmosphere.
We were impressed by the beer list and made a note to come back again for a meal and good beer.
The coffee was delicious. I asked about it, and it turns out it is from Barrington (MA) Coffee Roasters, which I always enjoy at Joe, the Art of Coffee in Manhattan. (So why isn't this local brew served all over Boston as it should be?)
Our meals were good. Portions were generous. One negative: the potatoes were heavily salted ("almost cured," my companion noted). Combined with my feta & olive omelette, I think I had my weekly salt intake in just one meal. But I enjoyed the omelette and even ate the potatoes. I don't cook with salt at home so I let myself live a little.
My companion got "pigs in a blanket," made with breakfast sausages wrapped in pancakes. Cute idea and pretty tasty, he noted.
Prices were reasonable. The atmosphere and the looks of the lunch meals being served around us make us want to go back and try more. -
Review from lauren s.
Boston, MA
8/13/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Try the French toast - you will not be disappointed!
The service is fast and friendly and the vibe here is really chill. Exposed brick, local artists work displayed throughout, open windows and sidewalk seating. The vegan plates are delicious - yummy enough to be ordered alongside my bacon. I realy wish there were more places in Boston like 303!! -
Review from Juliet P.
Boston, MA
9/13/2007 2 photos
Part artist, part retro, part industrial, part intelligencia and totally sweet! Finally East Boston has a place to get a quality meal and a tasty cup of coffee. Hard to believe that up until now my morning coffee choices consisted of McDonalds or Store 24. I was thrilled to step into a place with a giant, hissing espresso machine in the corner.
And to my great delight their menu is more extensive than I would have guessed - for breakfast they are cooking up poached eggs, crab cakes, omlettes, tofu scramble, and some other innovative dishes. For dinner they have a Buffalo burger, portobello burger, and a bunch of sandwiches, salads and soups that look dee-lish.
As far as the atmosphere goes- local artist, comfy couches, small tables and free wi-fi make this the coolest place to chil-lax in Eastie.
This place is filling a huge gap in the East Boston dining scene and rumor has it they will soon be hosting some highly entertaining events. -
Review from Julie R.
1/7/2008
This is a great addition to East Boston. I have been taken to the 303 several times since it opened and love it. It's the type of place you expect to find in the Back Bay or South End. The interior has exposed brick, long sheer drapes and gleaming hardwoods with cool paintings on the walls. The cafe is small but situated nicely in the space. For the dining options I have been at several times of the day and tried:
Eggs, homefries and toast: Great! Nice portion. Very good!
French toast with nutella: Best ever. Mmmm
Falafel + Tahini appetizer: Wow. This was soo good.
Chicken Caesar salad: Very fresh with hot grilled chicken and cool parmesan accents
Crabcakes: Amazing! They were full of meat!
Thai Chicken Skewers: Nicely marinated and tasty
Hand cut chips with hommus: Wow, I love hand cut fried chips and the hommus was great to dip them in.
Bleu Cheese pizza: pretty good.
The waitstaff is young but always fun. They have gotten their liquor license and have a small tasteful selection. I love going to 303. This is a great addition to the area!Listed in: East Boston Gems, My Top Restaurants
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Review from Adrienne T.
Boston, MA
3/31/2008
First: thanks, Yelp! I found this place through fellow Yelpers. I'm ALWAYS looking for new breakfast haunts.
I'm giving 303 three stars for my overall experience. If I were only rating atmosphere and ambience, it would definitely get five stars! The place is really, really casual chic, classy, and nice. Great contemporary jazz and world music in the background, interesting table tops made with pebbles (I'd love to have one of these), exposed brick, lots of silver, just super nice.
The breakfast/brunch menu is limited. Not much to choose from. Vegetarians should be happy- several veggie options, tofu, and stuff like that.
Be warned, if you don't like your bacon as crunchy as potato chips, ask them WHEN you place your order for non-crunchy bacon. They'll get it right, and it'll be tasty. Eggs were basic, homefries-meh. Food- nothing to write home over.
WARNING!! PORTION SIZES ARE SKIMPY! We were still hungry when we left.
Servers were extremely nice and friendly, but service was slow. Also, when one orders pancakes, you'd think butter and syrup wouldn't be far behind, but we had to ask for each. Then, wait. I wanted jelly for my toast. Then, wait. More coffee? Wait some more. In other words, server didn't have the ability to think ahead and either bring all out on a tray, or ask what condiments/accessories we may need. I don't think anyone ever came to refill water.
The place is a nice insertion into a neighborhood that you can just smell gentrification coming into. It gives those new to the area somewhere to go.
On this street, the gentrification it hasn't really started yet, but it's coming. There's a Spanish bodega store two doors down that draws lots of neighborhood locals. It was weird sitting in the window, because the neighbors just kinda walk by the place looking and staring, as if looking at a UFO. You can almost imagine their minds wondering: " what is this fancy place (though it's really not pricey) that is bringing all these people who don't look like me into our neighborhood. What is going on?"
All in all, 303 is a nice establishment. I wouldn't make a special trek again, unless I was looking for a particular type of experience. Maybe I'd take out of town guests or something. If you live in Eastie, go! Good experience. -
Review from Kat V.
6/29/2009 2 photos
So it took nearly 3 months from the bookmark date to actually get there - but by golly I MADE IT and hot damn, it was worth it!
I admit, the only reason I wanted to try this place originally was because of the name. I had just moved here from Colorado with my 303 area code (Google: 3oh!3, you will be amused) and when I saw this restaurant, my eyes lit up with joy - thinking of mountains, the lack of humidity, and microbrews as far as the eye could see! Unfortunately, it is only the address that carries the namesake. However, this place was awesome - so I am glad I stuck to my guns aka bookmarks! :)
First, the set up was cool - the art, the music - the whole atmosphere has a great vibe to it.
Second, the breakfast/brunch food was phenomenal! It would even serve as perfect hangover food! I was not hung over, but I was not far from it either. I had pancakes, bacon and eggs with a nice big Pomosa (pomegranate juice and champagne, mmmmmm). They also had a lot of beers on tap, so there are plenty of choices - even of the non adult beverage kind.
The food was great. The service was quick and friendly. The restaurant was clean. Parking was easy. There was outdoor seating (although very limited). The cost/price is extremely reasonable.
Overall, It is a bit of a trek - but definitely worth it! -
Review from Elizabeth W.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2009
Ive been to the 303 cafe 3 times. The first time was what made me come back. Food was delicious. They were busy for service was a bit slow but I just figured they had a lot to do.
Next time I went in the place was empty. The waitress was chatting with a friend who had stopped by. I wanted take out and it took a lot of coaxing to even get a menu. The food was pretty good after ordering it but I felt really uncomfortable waiting for my food as the waitress and her friend seemed irritated I had interrupted their conversation.
Went there again for the same thing, take out. I walked in and a different waitress was working. There were one or two people already eating their food inside. Without being greeted properly I asked her if i could order takeout. She said yes and continued putting out silverware. I didnt know what I wanted so I had to interrupt her again. "Can I have a menu?" She complied and I mulled over the lunch choices. About 15 minutes later my burger was ready. Im now at home eating it. The good thing is the fries are delicious! I love waffle fries.. The sucky thing is that there is no ketchup or any form of condiment on my burger. I dont have ketchup in my fridge either and dont feel like walking back 15 minutes to ask her for some ketchup. :( Dissapointing. I wish she had been more eager to take my order and more attentive to what I might need to enjoy this meal. -
Review from Rave M.
Boston, MA
8/5/2008
The food, the atmosphere, the attitude are all good at 303. Management is friendly and really strives for that neighborhood haunt feel -- you'll feel like "everybody knows your name" before long.
Breakfast is great, but I'd skip the french toast in favor of the pancakes. If you're into red meat, the bison burger is pretty good. If you're local, get on their email mailing list so you can find out when they're having Beer Nights and other special events (like an author talk, or an artist reception).
One example to give you an idea of what's important to them? If you bring in a certain number (12? 16?) of discarded scratch-off tickets, you get a free coffee. I love this place.Listed in: Eat!
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Review from Leo L.
Framingham, MA
9/4/2008
Went there with my boss for a couple of bison burgers. I too, as others, was surprised to find such a nice place in such a dumpy neighborhood. As others have said, gentrification is coming...but its probably a few years away.
The food was delicious. I had my bison burger with with some sweet potatoes and boy was it delicious. The only downside was, as others had mentioned, the speed of service. While the food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time, it seemed like getting menus/taking our order took forver. Then it took a few min to bring me a coke(did i mention there was a total of 2 tables including ours in use?). etc etc
Still 4* for being such a great and refreshing experience in this neighborhood. -
Review from Kelly A.
2/2/2008
Cafe 303 is a wonderful addition to the Maverick area. It hopefully indicates the potential for some sort of revival, as the area could be so cool. I think Cafe 303 is a step in the right direction! I went for brunch a couple of weeks ago and it was a great experience. The decor was cool, and they had a lot of local artwork on the walls that really brightened up the whole place. I had the nutella/raspberry French toast, which was delicious, and my husband had the curried tofu scramble, which he quite enjoyed. I agree with the other reviewer's warning about the veggie bacon though - it definitely looked to be the Morningstar Farms brand, which isn't vegan. If you're vegan, double-check on that before ordering. But overall it was a great visit with good service and interesting, flavorful food.
UPDATE*** The 303 realized their mistake about the vegan bacon. When we went today, they informed me that they changed it after they realized it wasn't vegan, and that their new offering is tempeh bacon. I don't know how they really call that bacon, seeing as it had no similarities to bacon at all. It had no flavor until I doused it in hot sauce. I spoke to the waitress about it because she asked my opinion, and she said they might soon offer both a vegetarian option and a vegan option to please everyone. -
Review from Michael C.
Boston, MA
6/12/2011
Had brunch at 303 Cafe on a Sunday afternoon. The place is small, no more than 30 seats, we were able to sit down quickly. The staff here is friendly but painfully slow. The kitchen was also slow, especially when you order eggs and french toast. The saving grace here is that the food is very good, inexpensive, and the portions are very generous.
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Review from TJ S.
Boston, MA
7/12/2008
I think the serving sizes have increased since previous posts.
The service is a bit casual so minus a point....but man ...for East Boston this is really hip! In fact as you sit with your cup of coffee enjoying the artsy decor and watching the locals walk by outside - you actually feel like you are in Beacon or Back Bay (ok just briefly)...a GREAT step in the right direction for all of us Eastie lovers!!
Prices are respectable and food was creative for such a limited menu (which is the proper business choice at this time).
If investors/Entrepreneurs are reading this PLEASE bring more of these to the area...we will embrace them! -
Review from Chris B.
Revere, MA
Updated - 8/16/2011
Since my first review some things have changed at the 303 Cafe. They no longer have wine or beer. However, they still have very good food and we enjoyed our meal very much
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2008
I had a excellent post Thanksgiving, home style, turkey sandwich for lunch yesterday at this 6 month… Read more »
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Review from Julianne L.
East Boston, MA
1/20/2010
303 was the first place we stumbled upon when we moved to East Boston three years ago. After living in Union Square, Somerville, for a few years and being within walking distance of some great restaurants -- especially places for brunch -- we immediately sought out Eastie replacements. 303 was -- and still is -- the best thing around (and I love Ecco with all my heart).
On the small side, the atmosphere has a great vibe and the exposed brick/hardwood combo plus the pressed-tin ceiling seems completely out of place amongst the drab triple-deckers on Sumner Street. Menus rotate every so often -- as does the craft beer, which is a plus for my husband. The mushroom risotto and the Bison burger are excellent and I'm always a sucker for their 303 Breakfast Burrito and their French toast (minus the Nutella). It's a great place for brunch but expect to be there for a while as it gets busy and the service is on the slow side. But that's what Lazy Sundays are for, right?
Also, during the summer (at least this past summer) they had movie night once a week which was awesome. I love that the restaurant is receiving great reviews but I almost want to keep this place to the locals, that's how great it is.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Elizabeth M.
Boston, MA
4/26/2009
Oh 303 Cafe, how I love the sight of you on a Sunday (or Saturday) morning!
303 Cafe is my new favorite breakfast joint, not that Boston has a seriously amazing breakfast scene anyway... This place takes the cake...or should I say...french toast? Their "303 French Toast" is a combination of Nutella, Raspberry Sauce, Chantilly Cream and Portoguese sweet bread...mmm.
Being someone who prefers sweet over savory any day, I immediately knew what I wanted. The servers are really nice and attentive. The whole place has a really indie feel. The decor is unique and the atmosphere is great. Unlike those "wanna-be" hole-in-the-wall bistro's that try too hard, 303 Cafe is all I ever wanted in a casual, friendly breakfast joint! -
Review from Jen T.
6/30/2009
I thought this place was totally unexpected. It is small, but charming, and nice and quiet on a Tuesday afternoon. The staff was helpful, although when we first walked in, it took a few minutes for someone to seat us, even though there was nothing else going on.. but after that, smooth sailing.
Fellow Yelper Julie R and I split a Chocolate Chip Cookie a la Mode, and the Molten Chocolate Cake. The cookie was big, the ice cream was French Vanilla (mmm), although I wish the cookie was a little softer in the middle. The Molten Chocolate Cake had a raspberry sauce over it, as well as some whipped cream. Julie and I both thought this Molten Cake was better than we've had in most other places, including Finale.
I would come here again if I were ever in the neighborhood, since they have dinner, wine, beer, and even a trivia night!
Plus, our bill was $9 :) -
Review from Coco C.
Boston, MA
1/10/2011
I love the staff and it reminds me of funky places in Seattle and San Francisco where I used to live. The food and espresso drinks are always delicious but every time my boyfriend and I have come, the service has been pretty bad. Luckily the food, people and atmosphere greatly outweigh the disorganized service. I will come back, as long as the food and friendliness stays in tact.
The can get away with it because there isn't really else in East Boston like this now, but once other places like this start to pop up they will have to work out the service kinks. But overall I love the place! -
Review from Melissa S.
Chelsea, MA
7/19/2009
We set off to Eastie on a trip to Scup's in the Harbor this fine Sunday morning, only they don't open until 10am. We were both bummed but I remembered passing this place along the way so we checked the 303 out.
What a find! Great coffee, friendly efficient service, good menu choices and a great breakfast. I particularly liked the curry flavored homefries.
We sat outside in front in some comfy wicker seats and really enjoyed the nice day. The meal was $24 for two people (we both had omelets, 1 coffee and a latte). Pretty reasonable I think.
We will definitely be back to try lunch and dinner. -
Review from Amanda M.
Astoria, Queens, NY
12/17/2008
I like this place because it's about 2 blocks from my apartment, and the convenience factor is a huge plus.
The first time I went to 303 was for a late lunch/early dinner and I ordered a cous-cous dish. Overall, I wasn't impressed, the cous-cous was heavily seasoned to the point of being too strong. The talapia that went with it however, was wonderful. I simply love fish and this was prepared perfectly, nice and light, very well seasoned, a bit lemony.
My friends had a mango chutney and scallop special, and steak and potatoes. After having bites of each, I think they made better menu choices than I did.
The real reason I keep coming back here is for the breakfast menu. French toast with Nutella, whipped cream, and chantilly... I can't even explain to you how wonderful that was. Breakfast is my favorite meal to go out for, and this really took the cake. -
Review from Lauren H.
Somerville, MA
3/8/2009
I've been looking for a delicious breakfast spot since I moved to Boston from the Cape (which has an abundance of incredible places to eat my favorite meal). As I'm currently living in Chelsea, I haven't really found anything good up here on the North Shore... not for real breakfast, anyway. So, I tried 303 this morning and it was pretty good. I had the breakfast burrito, and it was decent. Home fries were a little better than decent. My girlfriend had the Eggs Benedict, which is her litmus test for any breakfast place. In her words: "good, but not great." I think we need to pay another visit.
Decor is very surprising for the neighborhood. Exposed brick, funky mis-matched tables and dishes. Coffee is served in what looks like my grandparents' coffee mug collection.
Everyone talks about horrible service on their reviews, so I was expecting the worst. Our waitress was ridiculously nice and attentive, especially for a busy Sunday morning.
All in all, a good breakfast place that looks like it has an excellent beer selection for dinner. I'll try it again, but I'm still searching for my north-of-Boston breakfast place. -
Review from Renee J.
East Boston, MA
10/8/2010
I've been to 303 Cafe quite a few times now, we go once a week for brunch. The food is delicious and the portions are big for a very reasonable price.
My only peeve is that the maple syrup comes to the table in olive oil servers. You know, those small glass jars with a tiny little spout that every Italian or pseudo-Italian restaurant uses? I don't know about anyone else, but I'm from New England and I like a fair amount of maple syrup on my breakfast foods. I couldn't get more than a drizzle after 5 minutes of hard work. I was too afraid of the mess to just take the top off and pour it, so my pancakes remained really dry.
As a concert venue, it's a nice space; it's intimate for the performers and companionable for the audience. There's an echo from the bare brick walls and high ceilings, but the sound is still fairly good. They would do well to add some sound-absorbent material or studio paneling to improve that problem.
If you're standing or sitting outside and the front windows are closed, the sound is really amazing. Great for smokers and the brave patrons who don't mind sitting outside if it's chilly.
The rotating artwork on the walls has always delighted me. The current exhibit feels a little sparse, though, with too many small pieces oddly spaced. Perhaps they could have two artists in there at a given time to make it feel a little fuller. More art pieces would also help with the sound issue a little, I think.
All in all, a great asset to Eastie for its indie music offerings and laid-back hipster vibe. I'll go back, I just might bring my own jug of syrup if I'm there for breakfast. -
Review from Ron H.
North Bethesda, MD
7/6/2009
I used to be a big fan but the last 3 times I've gone there for breakfast, the service has gone down along with the food. First off, as an Eastie, the neighborhood can use more of these types of establishments. It's cute and decent, and if you close your eyes and ignore the spanish music that blares out from the neighbors, you'd think you're in the Back Bay or South End.
I tend to come here for breakfast on the weekends, and my only gripe is service. It's not bad, but there's no excuse for taking forever to serve us or ask us for refills on our drinks. It's a small venue so I expect it to be a little more on top of things. It had good service when it opened, but now it seems a little more inconsistent. Don't get me wrong, the service is friendly, but it wouldn't hurt to pay a little more attention to when customers need service.
